Prepare a Meal

Before making a meal, the process behind it definitely requires many stages. The meal I had prepared for my family is Chicken Eggplant Stir-fry with rice. First thing is first, writing out a grocery list!! This usually takes about 5-10 minutes for me to write down the main ingredients I need, which in this case are:

- Purple Eggplants
- Chicken Breasts
- Red and Green Bell Peppers
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Oyster Sauce
- Sweet Soy Sauce
- Sriracha Chili Sauce
- Oil
- Rice

However, I do always have to keep an open mind when I shop for food because sometimes the store I'm at might not have everything on my list, so I would have to substitute other things for it.

The second stage is grocery shopping. I always enjoy this stage because only I get to decide what I want to purchase for the meal, this way it won't be so complicated. Usually, I would shop at Wal-Mart for my groceries because of their great variety of products and with the fact that I am a college student, I love their affordable prices.

The third stage is making the rice in the rice cooker. This is done before making the Chicken Eggplant Stir-fry because you would want the rice to be ready in time to eat.

The fourth stage is preparing the ingredients, such as: slicing the meat, chopping/slicing the vegetables and mixing the sauce.

The fifth stage is actually making the Chicken Eggplant Stir-fry. In order to accomplish this stage efficiently, there are steps to which ingredient goes into the frying pan first. First, pour a little oil into the pan and let it sit for about 1-2 minutes. Second, pour in your sliced chicken and cook it until it whitens. Third, add in half the sauce you have pre-made and mix it thoroughly with the chicken. Fourth, add in the chopped bell peppers, mix it and cover the pan with a lid for about 5 minutes to soften the bell peppers. Fifth, add in the sliced eggplants. Let it sit for about another 5 min without covering the pan. Finally, add in the remainder of your sauce as well as the minced green onions and cilantro. After all these steps are finished; grab a plate, get yourself a a few spoonfuls of rice and top it off with the warm Chicken Eggplant Stir-fry. You will now have a delicious meal that will fulfill you and your family's taste!!

The clean-up process was definitely not a big issue in my family because everyone was so willing to help!!

If I have not followed these stages in chronological order, my meal probably wouldn't have turned out as appetizing as it should. But because I was able to accurately and precisely pursue those stages, my meal was a great success. My family loved my cooking and look forward to me going home more often for other satisfying meals. I had a great time making this meal, for the reason that not only was I able to cook for people I love but also socialize and spent quality time with my family!!

In regards to Michael Pollan's book, pages 54-55, I do somewhat agree with his claim of why American's think processed food is so bad. Since American's are known to be the most obese people, they have learned to cut down on their bad eating habits so that they aren't always stereotyped in that way. However, something that I didn't quite agree with was when Pollan quotes Laura Shapiro because in order for someone to eat a satisfying meal, it must taste good to them. Therefore, the gratification of appetite and the sense of taste are very big factors when it comes to eating. I really don't think anyone would want to eat a meal that tastes bad. There are definitely other ways of eating healthier yet satisfying your taste in food! The meal that I made definitely did have an impact on my decision toward Michael Pollan's claims. As my family and i ate, no one was worried about eating an unhealthy meal. We were able to easily socialize and dine as a happy family!

Making Healthy Food Choices
By American Heart Association

This article talks about the importance of eating healthy and it states the kinds of food that a person should eat in order to maintain a healthy balanced meal. It definitely supports Michael Pollan's idea of processed food because it states that there are other food choices that are healthier for people.